Testimonials

I am a preacher’s kid, and have been in the United Methodist church for over 60 years. Despite this experience, this course has been invaluable to me, not just for preparing me to fill a small membership church need, but rounding out my Christian education in general, and my Methodist upbringing as well.

For me this class has established a bible study routine, encouraged me to use new bible references and other relevant texts and disciplined my thinking. I would wholeheartedly recommend this class to any United Methodist lay person.

One of my highlights was the sharing done among the course "attendees." ... It is very cool to hear about the different ways the other attendees are working in God's Kingdom.

I was really fascinated by the comparison of who in the Bible I identified with. It was fun comparing how I have been called and my response to those in the Bible and their responses.

Another highlight was discussing the final paper with my pastor and District Superintendent. I was so touched by their affirmations of my calling and gifts and how supportive they were.

One of the best aspects of this class was the sharing of our reflection papers and the response from and responding to our classmate's work. It would be next to impossible to get the same level of response in a classroom setting.

For me the most important thing was confidence. I can see things that God has done over the years that were preparing me for this time of answering his call.

I liked the way that the course prepared us for the meeting with our district superintendent. At least for me, I had no idea what to expect from a meeting with her. It took a lot of pressure off me knowing that I was well prepared before I got there.

I have been serving the Methodist Church as a District Superintendent’s Assignee for about 3 years, and last July went to licensing school and am now enrolled in Course of Study for local pastors in the United Methodist Church.

The Lay Academy prepared me well with the beginning skills and the history of the church to take my studies to the next level. I want to thank the Lay Academy for the preparation, guidance, the opportunity for group participation, and the grace I experienced

Pastor Ellis’s encouragement and the encouragement of all the instructors helped me find the courage to pursue God’s calling in my life.

I found the academy an indispensable part of my education and journey into ministry.

I remember distinctly how we were taught to use the lectionary, research tools, and the process of reading and meditating and praying on the scripture, which allows it to speak to you in a way which brings the depth of God’s word to the fore. We would underline the salient words in a verse, which words jumped out at us or which prevailing thought became a periscope to understanding the text, and then the sermon preparation process that insured that we kept to the core meaning of the passage within the context of history, culture, and the rest of scripture.

The Academy was a comprehensive and progressive program for my work in the church.

I really enjoyed the class setting. It was a safe environment [and] I appreciate the fact that we were encouraged to learn from one another. I was stretched and challenged and grew because of it. I feel I am more myself than I have ever been.